Soviet submarine B-427 facts for kids
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|} The B-427 was a large diesel-electric submarine built for the Soviet Navy. It was part of the Project 641, also known as the Foxtrot-class class. The "B" in its name means "large" in Russian.
This submarine was put into service in 1971. It operated with the Russian Pacific Fleet until it was taken out of service in 1994. Later, the submarine was sold to a group of business people from Australia. They changed it into a museum vessel.
From 1995 to 1998, it was on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Australia. There, it was called Foxtrot-540. In 1998, it moved to Long Beach, California. In Long Beach, it was known as Podvodnaya Lodka B-427 Scorpion.
As of July 2016[update] the Scorpion submarine is no longer open for people to visit.
Contents
| History | |
|---|---|
 Soviet Union |
|
| Name | B-427 |
| Laid down | 10 April 1971 |
| Launched | 22 June 1971 |
| Commissioned | 4 December 1971 |
| Decommissioned | 1994 |
| Stricken | 1994 |
| Status | Museum ship; shut down as of 2016 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Foxtrot-class submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 299 ft 6 in (91.29 m) |
| Beam | 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m) |
| Draft | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Endurance | 3–5 days submerged |
| Test depth | 270–280 m (890–920 ft) |
| Complement | 12 officers, 10 warrants, 56 seamen |
| Armament |
|
Life as a Submarine
Building and Starting Service
The building of B-427 began on April 10, 1971. This happened at the Sudomekh Shipyard in Leningrad, which is now Saint Petersburg. The submarine was put into the water on June 22, 1971. It officially joined the navy on December 4, 1971.
Patrolling the Pacific
For 22 years, B-427 patrolled the Pacific Ocean. Its job was to protect the important missile submarine bases of the Pacific Fleet. Its home base was in Vladivostok, Russia. Sometimes, it was temporarily stationed at a former US Navy base in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. These temporary stays usually lasted between 8 and 12 months before the submarine returned to Vladivostok.
Encounter with a Typhoon
In 1989, B-427 was returning to Vladivostok from Vietnam. On its journey, it sailed into a strong typhoon. A mechanical problem prevented the submarine from being able to dive underwater. The storm hit the submarine hard. It damaged the outer part of the submarine and its ballast tanks.
B-427 was taken back to Vladivostok for repairs. It received a new outer hull to fix the damage from the storm.
Becoming a Museum Ship
The Russian Navy officially took B-427 out of service in December 1994. It was one of the last three Foxtrot-class submarines to serve in the Russian Pacific Fleet.
A group of Australian business people bought the submarine. They towed it from Vladivostok on July 25, 1995. On the way to Sydney, there was a disagreement about the towing costs. The submarine still arrived in Sydney on August 31.
Display in Australia
After some changes, the submarine was loaned to the Australian National Maritime Museum. It was displayed as a museum vessel and called "Foxtrot-540." This was its last number while it was in military service.
Even though it was a museum, the submarine was still owned by the Russian Navy at first. An Australian former submariner was even made an officer in the Russian Navy to look after Foxtrot-540. The submarine was almost ready to operate. Its engines, electrical system, and other equipment still worked. Russian staff came to Australia to teach museum workers how to maintain the submarine.
Foxtrot-540 stayed at the museum for three years. Over 700,000 people visited it during this time.
Moving to California
In May 1998, the submarine was loaded onto a special heavy lift ship. It left Sydney on May 31 and arrived in Long Beach, California, on June 25. Once there, it was placed next to the famous RMS Queen Mary ship.
The submarine opened to the public on July 14, 1998. In California, it was known as "Podvodnaya Lodka B-427 Scorpion." In 2011, the company that ran the Queen Mary also bought the Scorpion. They planned to offer tickets for both attractions together. In 2016, a new company, Urban Commons, took over the lease for both the Queen Mary and the Scorpion.
Closure to the Public
In November 2012, it was found that the submarine had water inside. This caused it to tilt to one side. The Scorpion was closed to the public in 2015. By this time, the main hull had been damaged.
